Sewing-thimble



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

JOHN DEVLIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEWING-THIIVIBLE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,807, dated December 81, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN DnvLrN, of the city of Philadelphia, in theState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSewing-Thimbles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in which Figures l and 2 are enlarged perspective viewsof a sewing thimble, with the improvement applied, Fig. 1 being a sideview, and Fig. 9., an edge view, of the latter', and Fig. 3, atransverse section, through the line fc, of Fig. l, like letters, in thedifferent figures, indicating the same parts.

The nature of my invention consists in the application of a guard orfender to the outer side of a sewing thimble, so that it shall serve thepurpose of protecting the third, or the finger next below thethimblefinger, from being injured, or wounded, by the eye-end of theneedle when it accidentally slips off of the thimble in sewing.

Referring to the drawings, A, is a common sewing thimble; B, the guard7or fender. The guard, or fender consists of a piece of the same materialof which the thimble is made, soldered fast, in a radial longitudinalposition, on to the outer side of the said thimble. It is made aboutfrom three-sixteenths to a quarter of an inch wide at the middle, androunded smoothly off at each end, as seen in the drawings, so as toprevent its catching against either the thread of the needle, or thematerial being sewed. It has, also, its outer edge turned upwardly, orso constructed as to form a boundary rim, c, around the upper side ofthe same, to catch the eye-end of the needle, in case the latter shouldnot be caught and held in the indentations, d, which are made on theupper side of the guard for the purpose, when -the said needleaccidentally slips over the tliimble proper.

Operation: The improved thimble is applied over the end of the usualthimble-finger, with the guard or fender (B) turned outwardly. Insewing, if the eye-end of the needle slips out of and over the usualindentations of the thiinble, it will come in contact with the guard orfender, and by means of the indentations (d) therein, or its raisedboundary edge (c), be caught, and prevented from passing farther overthe tliinible finger, and thus from coming in contact with and woundingthe third, or next finger below the tliiinble linger.

It will be readily perceived that this guard, or fender (B), constitutesa very useful improvement in the common sewingthiinble; as it musteffectually prevent the needle from slipping past the thimble-finger, insewing; and that it will, therefore, as effectually guard, or defend thethird, or next finger below, from the injury to which it has hithertogenerally been subjected whenever the eye-end of the needle slipped outof the usual indentations of the thimble, in sewing.

That I. claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:

The application of a guard or fender to the outer side of a sewingthimble, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described.

JOHN DEVLIN. IlVitnesses BENJ. MonrsoN, WILLIAMS OGLE.

